Dance of the Damned
by River Child
Summary: Gasp! It's rated T! Basically, a somewhat loose Jak version of Hunchback of Notre Dame[the Disney movie] Also, slash content don't like, don't read.


Hey folks, it's River Child again with another story. This time I'm going Disney and decided to do a Jak version of the movie, _The Hunchback of Notre Dame_. I would like for the fic to remain to the true essence of the movie, but the need to put my own spin on it took over. Also, since the movie was based on the novel _Notre Dame de Paris_ and Disney changed many parts of it, so what difference does it make if I morph some changes too? Anyway, unfortunately, for the past months, I've been a Disney high, watching The Lion King, The Little Mermaid and the Hunchback. Which of course, forced the bunnies dwelling inside my head to start working frantically. I'm also going to do a Jak version of the Little Mermaid.

Disclaimer: I do not, I do not, I do not own the Jak series. The beloved series belong solely under the copyright of Naughty Dog. The Hunchback of Notre Dame belongs to Disney.

Also, before you read the character list and such, I have a couple of warnings. Here's the kicker for you het fans. This is a story with slash action and content in it. If that stuff bothers you, run away and never return. Save yourself and I the trouble of sending me a flame when I gave you the warning and a chance to save your eyes, pride, dignity, etc. Also, do not send me clips from the Bible and preach to me that what I am writing is wrong. I am aware of the Bible's teachings and I am a Roman Catholic (though I am a 'struggling' one). This is and I am allowed to write whatever I want. Leave all the preaching shit for TV and to Pat Robertson and his 7700 Club. Anyway, here's the cast list peeps:

Quasimodo: Dark Jak (actually, his name will be Ahriman)

Quasimodo's mother: Ashelin

Victor (one of the stone gargoyles): Vin (couldn't think of anyone else)

Hugo (another stone gargoyle): Jinx

Laverne (basically the stone gargoyles will just be stone human figures): Samos

Esmeralda: Jak

Djali: Daxter (won't be a goat. Just his regular arrogant Ottsel self)

Phoebus: Torn

Frollo: Erol

Clopin: Pecker

Priest (the one that prevents Frollo from killing Quasimodo in the beginning): Seem (actually, she'll still be a monk)

Is that everyone? Oh well. Anyway, go on ahead and read

Chapter One: The Tale of Creation

_Ahh, aren't they beautiful? The melodious bells of El Templo Precursor? Though far away they are in distance and do not reside in Haven City, their tolls always manage to cross the sea and over the walls to the heart of the City. Some even say the souls of the Wasteland and Haven City combined are the tolls of the bells._

_Hmm? Am I going to tell the history of the infamous bells of El Templo Precursor? Yes, my child I will—Hey! Are you paying for that? Well—SQUAAAWWWK!— get the hell—I mean, heck out of here! _

_Now, what was I saying? Ah yes, the bells of El Templo Precursor ? Though the sun rises, still many begin their day with the tolls of the bells. To the soft chimes of the little ones and rumbling and thunderous ringing to the large ones. However, the real intrigue lies not with the bells themselves, but with the identity of the mysterious bell-ringer._

_No Kaya, they do not ring all by themselves. That is an obvious fact that even a dumb blind kangarat can see. What? Ah, go ahead cry to your mother and see if I care. Stupid chica…_

_Anyway, who is this creature? This bell-ringer of the Temple? Where did he come from and how did come to be there in Spargus, in the bell-tower?_

_Shhh…sit down children. Do not mind the slightly hairy old woman. She is resting. Yes, she's resting and NO she is not dead! What? No, she's not possessed either. Forget all that, you're cutting into my siesta time!_

_Pecker, will—AWWWK!—tell you. It is a tale. A tale of a man…and a monster!_

-----------------

The draft of wind coming through one of the many cracks of the Hellcat was cold and unmerciful against a paley bronzed cheek. So, a hand reached to the rough yet cool fabric of the brown cloak and pulled it closer. The bundle in the figure's hands was pushed more into the figure's chest and a gurgle was heard. The figure hushed at the bundle before trailing intense green eyes on the frightened or impassive features on the swarthy faces of the three other passengers.

They were outcasts, deviants, vagabonds; the pariahs of society. Whatever term you wished to deem them, they were outcasts nonetheless. Outcasts that had no home to seek comfort to and were forced by necessity or desire for opportunity to seek a haven in this city that was no haven to even its own natives. Much less for those that were foreign in the metropolis of Haven City, so the homes the wanderers were searching for would most probably in the deepest part of the Slums, where the poorest of the poor and the crust of scum dwelled and did not want _that _kind of people in their neighborhood.

The times that were to be spent in Haven by the passengers were probably going to be hard, barely skittering above the line that deemed a person's process in life as 'barely getting by'. However, despite the chances of further persecution and torment, those three souls were willing to risk that in order to claim a home for their families and themselves and spend their first time in a city.

The hidden ruby lips of the figure frowned. It certainly would not be the first time in Haven City for her and certainly there were memories of this ironically named city, but the figure did not wish to bring them up. That part of her life was over as soon as she stepped out of the city and went through a major yet common change that placed her as one of the three other passengers. One of them…a _Poderosan_.

Suddenly, the Hellcat came to a sudden stop and the force caused the occupants to bounce or fly a little out of their seats. A hiss echoed throughout the small room of the vehicle and the passengers looked at the door opened and lower itself to the gray-cemented ground. Standing outside the mouth of the Hellcat, was the driver of Hellcat. A young Poderosan man dressed in the uniform of the feared Krimzon Guard that made it clear he did this sort of occupation, of smuggling his own kind into the city, for profit. The attitude was clearly shown as he shoved the passengers in, barely said any kind words and immediately asked for a small amount of payment for the trip from the Poderosan villages residing in the Icelands. He even demanded payment again when they flew above the city walls. Compassion and understanding was long forgotten or ripped apart by the essence oozing from the very city.

"Everyone out!" bellowed the man. Immediately, the passengers gathered their belongings and slowly trudged their way out of the Hellcat.

The man stepped on the platform incline that was door and glared at a tiny Poderosan girl with long wavy rusty brown hair, very tanned pigmented skin and dark brown eyes. She was not moving and was holding up the cloaked figure behind her. "Come on girl! I do not have the time to be your fucking babysitter! Move!"

Frightened brown eyes gazed at the man, but he was not moved. He growled and grabbed the little girl's wrist pulled her out despite her loud scream of pain. He shoved her into another passenger, an elderly man that slanted his black orbs at the driver and patted the little girl's head and pulled her close to him. The other Poderosan passenger, this time a middle-aged woman with wrinkled skin of caramel stared incredulously at the man at his harsh treatment. The Krimzon Guard disguised one focused his attention on the cloaked one that was making her way out.

"Come on! Get the molasses out of your ass and move! I don't have all night!"

Another gurgling sound emerged from the bundle in the figure's hands and she gently placed it on her shoulder and patted it gently. She lifted her head and fixed a green glare at the man but moved off the platform. Once she was off, she studied the surroundings. It was nighttime, a full moon glimmering in the vast sheet of the night sky. And from what she remembered, it appeared to be they were at the port in South Town. Which was not that far from the Bazaar Section.

She shot daggers at the man who was now demanding money out of the frightened little girl who began to clutch tighter onto the elderly man. It was bad enough the man to only seek to make money out of helping his people, but to even buy into the stereotype of Poderosans making money in the Bazaar Section to become fortunetellers, palm readers, typical Haven Citier presumed shit. They may have believed in different deities that were not the Precursors and divination, but they did like to have practical jobs as well.

The man shoved his hand into the figure's face in the impolite gesture of demanding payment. The cloaked one glared at him again. "You are a horrible person," she tried to refrain from using profanity. She pressed the bundle closer to her shoulder. "We barely spent a couple of seconds in Haven and already you're demanding money."

"I could care less about their problems or yours. I'm just looking out for me." He emphasized on the last part and pounded his chest. His uncovered eyes narrowed a bit and he inched closer to the figure peering into the dark depths. "Wait a minute, you look familiar…"

The figure gasped and was about to turn away before a gunshot echoed horribly across the area. The small group of outcasts turned to see a small group of Krimzon Guards standing not too far away from them accompanied with a shorter and less bulky man situated on a racing zoomer dressed in the same Krimzon Guard uniform except it was in the hue of yellow. He had reddish-orange hair that surrounded his face in spikes of flames and his yellow eyes peered the group of Poderosans with disdain and disgust lit in his eyes.

"Erol." whispered the middle-aged woman.

The little girl ran away from the elderly man and hid herself behind the concealed woman.

"Once again," the Krimzon Guard Commander spoke, "you disgusting and foul Poderosan vermin try to infiltrate this perfect city and taint it with your heathen ways. Guards! Seize them and send them to where they belong! The dungeons!"

The guards immediately followed the Baron's orders and quickly came upon the group. The man that was disguised as a Krimzon Guard cried and begged them to let him go, while the elderly man and middle-aged woman stood still and allowed the Guards to place them under arrest. One Krimzon Guard stalked over to the cloaked figure, who along with the Poderosan colleen, was moving away from him and shifting the bundle into the cradle of her arms. Still, he managed to get a hold of her arm and tried to get a look at the bundle she was trying keep away from his grasp.

"What are you hiding, Poderosan?"

"Stolen goods no doubt," said Erol who hovered over to the lone Guard and concealed one. "Take the goods and get rid of these freaks."

With that, the figure ran with the little girl trailing after her. And Erol followed them. They zipped across the bridge to the other side of South Town. As they heard the purring of the zoomer rumbling in their ears, they increased their pace and ran throughout South Town until they turned and were finally at the path to the center of Haven City, where a majestic statue portraying Baron Praxis stood reaching towards the heavens. Smaller statues of Mar, the founder of Haven City, were placed every corner of the dais holding the Baron statue.

Relief fluttered within the figure's heart. She grabbed the little girl's hand and they both ran faster. If she remembered correctly, if one were to place at least one touch on a statue of Mar, they could declared sanctuary in the embrace of Mar's arms, as it once said he was a very compassionate soul. Maybe the method could work for outcasts like her and the girl as well.

When they were inches away from a Mar statue, the purring of zoomer got louder and the figure looked back to see the determined face of Erol and the pastel green zoomer speeding closer to them. The figure shoved the child away, which gave the Krimzon Guard Commander the chance to seize the bundle out of her grasp. The woman's eyes widened before she ran with all her might after the speeding zoomer and managed to climb on and fight for the possession of the bundle until Erol shoved her off.

Her body collided into the hard and unforgiving surface of the ground and bashed her skull. Immediately, death seized her and pinned her to the ground and her blood was slowly painting it as it dripped from her bashed head. Erol looked back at bloody scene and quickly stopped the zoomer to peer back at the corpse. Before he decided to get off, unexpected cries of a baby caused him to slightly jump.

"A baby…?" Erol quietly said as he glanced at the bundle in his arms that began to sprout two chubby and grasping arms, which the Commander of the Krimzon Guard tried to wriggle away from.

Curiosity seized the yellowed-eyed man and lifted the blanket that covered the baby's face. When he was presented with the child's features he gasped and quickly covered it again. "A monster! A demon sent! An Eco Freak!" Why else would he appear in such a horrendous way? Dark Eco must have tainted the child.

Erol frantically searched for anything that could aid him in the ridding of the demon. Finally, his eyes laid upon the wall of a building opposite him. A grateful and delighted smile lit up his features. He could smash the child against the wall and he and the world would rid of one the many demons that threaten plague it!

Suddenly, he caught movement from the corner of his eye and he turned to be confronted with the little girl from earlier reaching out to touch the corpse the cloaked woman. The child's eyes locked onto him and stared at him with such depth and conviction that the emotions pouring from the girl's eyes could form a dagger and pierce him.

She has to go, Erol simply thought. With one slip of words describing and depicting Erol misdeeds, his reputation could be ruined. Then again, would anyone in the city care if he killed two Poderosan children? Regardless, both needed to be disposed of for the greater good. So Erol began to approach the little girl who was watching him curiously and bravely. He ignored the deafening cries of the baby and continued to eye the girl child with an impassive expression…

"Stop!" cried a mysterious and whispery voice.

Erol turned to see a Precursor Monk (female, he presumed) heading towards him. Unforgiving and accusing pools of crimson red burned his soul when they fastened onto him before they shifted upon the corpse of the woman. The baby's cries came to a stop all of a sudden and immediately, Erol recognized the monk as Seem, the leader of the Precursor Monks, as he encountered her many times at Spargus, a city in the arid desert region, the Wasteland. A compassionate and sad frown settled upon her lips as she kneeled down to touch the cloaked figure.

"You do not whose affairs you're interfering with, Seem," Erol threatened but slightly backed away.

"I am well aware of what interfering with." The monk replied. Red eyes shot daggers at him again. "You are a monster."

Erol scoffed. "How so?"

The red pools held red flames of challenge and disgust as Seem reached down towards the hood of the cloaked woman and pulled it back, to reveal the beautiful, tattooed and once-tanned face of Ashelin, Baron Praxis' daughter.

Erol gasped before he sneered at Ashelin's corpse. "So, Ashelin ran away and… mingled…with a Poderosan and begat this…" he held the baby up to observe with more disgust. He redirected his attention unto Seem. "No matter, this child and the girl are demons! I was about to send them to where they belong."

Seem reached out an arm and stretched out across the girl to protect her. With her other hand she pointed at the dead woman. "You spilt innocent blood at a statue of Mar."

Erol shrugged. "I am guiltless—she ran, as well as she," Erol indicated towards the little girl. "I pursued."

Still, Seem persisted. "Now you would add these children's blood to your guilt on the very ground beneath a statue of Mar?"

Erol rolled his eyes. "My conscience is clear!"

Seem gingerly picked up Ashelin's body and surprising hauled it over shoulder. She placed an arm around the girl that continued to peer up at Erol with the strongest of accusation along with the monk. "Fine. You can continue to lie to yourself and whomever you have authority of. You can continue to play your game and deceive everyone in this city that you are a righteous man. But know this Commander, this statue here knows and saw what you did. No matter where you go, you will still carry that stain of sin upon you and you can never hide it from the very eyes of Mar."

Erol's yellow orbs widened at the realization that came after Seem's words sunk in. He turned around and gazed at the towering statue of Mar before him. The stone figure at first appeared to expressionless and unaware of its surrounding environment before downcast stone eyes cut at Erol and inhuman and immaculate white light flashed and glowed within them. At that very moment the stone unnatural gaze ensnared Erol and froze him to the spot.

_You shall pay _a soft yet icy voice from an undetermined origin and location declared. With that, it was gone and the statue's eyes became stone again and were not fixed on judging any soul.

Erol could hardly breath. Was that the very voice of Mar speaking to him? And what did he mean he will pay? Fear gripped his heart and held it strong. "What must I do?" Erol quietly questioned.

"Raise the child as your own. I believe it would be Ashelin's last wish."

The yellow eyes burned with angry and indignant flames at the religious woman. "How dare you even conjure such a suggestion! How am I supposed to care for this…very well…but let him live with you, in the Precursor Temple."

Seem curiously looked at him. "In the Temple? Where?"

Erol shrugged. "I don't know, how about the bell tower? Some place where no one has to look at his demonic face. And I will, unfortunately, come to visit him a couple of times a week or two. Who knows…he might be of use to me."

Seem eyed him suspiciously before she nodded in agreement. Better for the child to live any place far away from Erol and only have to deal with him only a couple of times. "Very well, the girl will live with me also."

"Fine."

Erol gently handed the baby to Seem, who cradled it in the crook of her arm, while carrying Ashelin's dead body with no problem. She nodded towards Erol and slowly walked pass him and made her way to South Town. However, the little girl continued to stand still and stare at Erol wit that accusatory gaze of hers.

Erol glared at the child. "What? What do you want?"

The child said nothing, but her eyes narrowed even more and burned a darker hue. This slight physical change unnerved Erol. This feeling of discomfort deepened when the girl finally spoke, "You are cursed." This she said in a deeper tone, a voice devoid of childish traits and emotions.

"What?" Erol backed away from her a little.

The child pointed her finger at him with enough conviction to condemn the most feared demon himself. "Until you do right by my kind, everything you think about will crumble. Until you do right by my people, everything you even think about will fail. The hell you plan for us is the one you're going to burn in. Everything you done to my people, will already be done unto you. When you dream of golden fires, you will never sleep in peace again, nor shall sleep come to you. The demons are always with you and now you formed a sacred and wicked bound with them and they shall never leave you. Your torment shall begin with golden fire and your death will be that golden fire. I curse you Erol Maldeojo, and you are cursed."

After that, the girl walked off. Without a sound or a look back at Erol who stared at the back of her head before he unsteadily sauntered to his zoomer.

_Many wondered and still continue to wonder, can an actual child curse a man? Some are uncertain, some claim that the very idea is ridiculous and some actually believe that the girl actually cursed Erol. However, it is that curse that pours in the subject of the complex nature of all humans and the idea of a curse melted away the mask of righteousness that Erol upheld and makes us all question: Who is the man and who is a demon? Is it Erol or Ahriman, the child that was given the name that meant devil or evil spirit and grew up to be the bell-ringer of the Precursor Temple? _

End of Chapter One

Well, what you think? Sorry, I didn't add any music in here, but I kinda wanted to put my own twist on Disney's classic The Hunchback of Notre Dame and add a supernatural theme to it a little. Anyway, for those that are curious, _Poderosan_ is my own derivative from the Spanish adjective, poderoso, which means 'powerful'. So in this case, Poderosan means 'powerful one.' Also, _Maldeojo_ is a conjoined version of the Spanish word, _mal de ojo_, which means '(the) evil eye.' Finally, _El Templo Precursor_ basically means 'Precursor Temple'. Ahriman is a Middle Persian name form of Angra Mainyu, the name of the god of darkness, death and destruction. Anyway, for those that are wondering when I'm going to update my other Jak fic, I'm going to say very soon.


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